Sluice-gate.



W. VAN DEN HEUVEL.

SLUIOE GATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.15, 1912.

1 ,O28,64;O, Patented June 4, 1912.

-2 SHEETSSHEBT 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH Co WASHINGTON. n. c.

' W. VAN DEN HBUVEL.

SLUIGE GAlI'E.

APPL IIIIIIIIIIIII AR. 15, 1912. 1,028,640, Patented June 4,1912.

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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA WILLIAM VAN DEN I-IEUVEL, or LosANeELE s, CALIFORNIA.

SLUICE-G-ATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1912.

Application filed March 15, 1912. Serial No. 684,048.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM VAN DEN HEUvEL,.a subject of the Queen ofthe Netherlands, (who has declared his intention of becoming a citizenof the United States,) resident of Los Angeles, in the county of LosAngeles and State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sluice-Gates, of which the following is a specification.

- My invention relates to water gates and has particular reference tothe construction of a flexible curtain gate for use in connection withsluices. V I

In many parts of the country where irrigation is necessary, also wherewater is conducted through sluices for other purposes, it is customaryto have gates for closing the sluice and diverting or withholding thesupply of water. Such gates are usually built of heavy, cumbersomeplanks in order to give requisite stiffness. It is apparentthat whenclosed the whole weight of water isagainst the gate makingits movementin opening or closing a matter of very great difficulty. In fact, heavyor ponderous machinery is often required to move a .gate of adequatesize.

My improvement proceeds upon the theory that a gate of equal strengthand rigidity may be secured by forming the same from a plurality ofsections hinged at their longitudinal edges and so arranged that inopening or closing only one section at a time is displaced, that is, inthe preferable construction one end of the curtain is secured tosuit-able framework and the other end to a bodily movable drum. Desiringto open the gate the drum is caused to rotate thus displacing onesection and allowing water to pass through the corresponding opening.The action of the water in passing through the opening will then .tendto assist the rolling action of the drum, successively displacingsections of the gate until the entire opening or any desired partthereof is clear. Desiring to close the sluice, the rotation of thedrumis reversed and the curtain unrolled until the opening is closed.

I am aware that sectional gates have heretofore been employed butbelieve I am the first to provide a sectional gate which may be rolledon a drum as hereafter described.

The objects of my invention may be stated as follows: 1st, to reduce thepower necessary to open and close sluice gates, this result beingaccomplished by forming a gate of a plurality of sections hingedtogether on their longitudinal edges; 2nd, to employ in connection withthe hinged sections a drum together with means for rotating the drum inorder to roll and unroll the gate thereon and therefrom; 3rd, to formthe sections from a plurality of units of predetermined sizes to the endthat a gate of any desired width and length may be built without theconstruction of special parts, and, 4th, to arrange a packing strip inthe joints between the sections whereby if desired all water may beprevented from passing through the gate.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a gate constructed in accordance withmy invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is anenlarged front elevation of a plurality of sections; Fig. 4 is afragmentary enlarged sectional view of the ends of the three sectionsshowing the means for hinging the same; Fig. 5 is a section on the line5- 5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail showing themeans for uniting separate units to form a section, and Fig. 7 shows agate rolled on a drum and in the positions as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that in asluice 10 is mounted a frame composed of a plurality of verticalsupports 11, having a bottom connecting member 12 and a top member 13.To the top member 18 is secured one end 14 of my novel curtain gate.This is composed of a plurality of sections adapted to be wound upon adrum 15, carried by a shaft 16, having sprockets 17 upon the endsthereof. Also mounted on the shaft 16 are vertically extending spacers18, which spacers are divided or split throughout their middle portions,carrying on their upper ends idlers 19. Chains 20 pass over thesprockets 17 and idlers 19, and around sprockets 21, keyed to a shaft22, having a worm gear 23 thereon. Motion is imparted to the gear 23 bymeans of a worm 24, connected to any suitable source of power. Thespacers 18 are guided by the shaft 22, said shaft passing between thesplit or divided parts of said members. Rollers 25 serve to maintain thechain 20 in contact with the sprocket 21 on one side and'similar rollers26 maintain the chain away from the sprocket on the opposite side.

It will be seen that the drum .15 may be caused to rotate by movement ofthe chain and that upon said movement the curtain be rolled or unro-lledas desired, due to the fact that the upper end 14 of the curtain isattached to the frame.

Referring now to Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive, it will be seen that Icontemplate forming my curtain gate from a plurality of sections hingedon their longitudinal edges, each of these sections being formed from aplurality of units, the units being bolted together at their ends. Eachof these units as shown, is formed of cast metal having a web 27,outwardly projecting end flanges 28, provided with bolt openings andside flanges 29. It will be understood that the units are duplicates andthat a description of one is sufiicient. On the edges of the units areformed hinge projections 80, perforated as required to accommodate ashaft 31, extending preferably through the entire length of the gate.This shaft may be keyed to one of the units as at 33, although this willnot be found essential. Between the hinge lugs 30, I prefer to insert ahollow filler 32, as best shown in Fig. 4, although it will beunderstood this member may be cast as a part of one of the units ifdesired.

In some constructions it may be found desirable to form an absolutelytight joint and in such cases I provide just back of the hinged jointsan arc-shaped opening 34, within which is mounted a packing strip 35,formed preferably of bronze or similar ma: terial. This strip is shapedon a radius drawn from the center of the shaft 31, and thus permits therotation of the united sections as required in order to roll upon thedrum 15. The water tending to leak past this strip will cause the stripto be pressed agaisnt the face of the arc-shaped opening. In Fig. 5 Ihave shown the strip 35 as being cut away to permit the rotation of thekeys 33 with one of the sections. I prefer to con- I struct the unitsjust described in a certain definite length to the end that a buildermay combine as many of these units as necessary in order to form acomplete gate. It will also be found much easier to-cast or shape theunits in smaller sizes. The ends of the units, as shown in Fig. 6, areoffset or required and which moreover may be operated with ease ascomparedto-the operation of a heavy, rigid gate.

It is obvious that while I have described the section as being composedof cast units, they may be pressed or rolled if desired. It is furtherobvious that the particular form and construction of the units composingthe sections may be varied; also that the construction of the operatingmeans for the gate may be modified to suit difierent conditions ofservice. For instance in th'e construction shown, where the curtain isattached at its top, the operating means are efficient, whereas, if thegate be attached at its lower end, a different form of operating meansmay be found preferable. Other and further modifications may be made allwith out departure from the spirit of my invention.

I claim: v

1. In a gate, the combination of a plurality of hinged sections, packingmeans between the sections, whereby a substantially liquid-tightflexible closure is secured, and means for shifting said gate onesection at a time, substantially as described.

2. In a gate, the combination of a plurality of sections, means forpivotallyuniting said sections, each of said pivotally united sectionsbeing composed of a plurality of rigidly united sections, substantiallyas described.

3. In a gate, the combination of a plurality of sections, means forpivotally uniting said sections, each of said pivotally united sectionsbeing composed of a plurality of rigidly united sections, and means forpacking the joints between said pivotally united sections, substantiallyas described.

4. In a gate, the combination of a plurality of sections, knuckle jointsuniting said sections, each of said sections being composed of aplurality of rigidly united sections, substantially as described.

5. In a gate, the combination of a plurality of sections, knuckle jointsuniting said sections, each of said sectionsbeing composed of aplurality of rigidly united sections, and means for packing said knucklejoints, substantially as described. 7

6. A gate composed of a plurality of sections pivoted along theirlongitudinal edges, each of such sections being composed of a pluralityof units rigidly united at their ends, substantially as described.

7. A gate composed-of a plurality of cast metal sections pivoted alongtheir longitudinal edges and provided withpacking means, each of suchsections being composed of a plurality of units rigidly united attheirends, substantially as described. 7

8. A gate composed of a plurality of cast metal sections pivoted alongtheir longitudinal edges and an arc-shaped packing strip drum, and meansfor rotating said drum whereby to Wind said gate thereon and un- 10 Windthe same therefrom, substantially as adapted to be placed in the jointsbetween said sections, substantially as described.

9. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a liquid conduit and a fieXidescribed.

ble gate, said gate being composed of a plu- WILLIAM VAN DEN HEUVEL.rality of hinged sections, one end of the gate Witnesses:

being secured to a support and the other J. D. CARR,

end to a rotatable and Vertically movable MARIE M. KRUCHEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

